1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus having ink tubes for supplying ink connected to a carriage so as to follow a reciprocating motion of the carriage, wherein the carriage carries a recording head for recording an image on a recording medium and reciprocates in a direction crossing a moving direction of the recording medium.
2. Description of Related Art
As the image recording apparatus for performing image recording on the recording medium by ejecting ink based on an input signal, conventionally known apparatus is the one that conducts ink to an actuator of the recording head and pressurizes and ejects the ink in accordance with the input signal by using deflection of the actuator such as a piezoelectric element and electrostriction element, or boiling of the ink that locally occurs due to a heating element.
For example, in an image recording apparatus called a serial printer, a recording head such as aforementioned is carried on the carriage that reciprocates in a direction crossing a conveying direction of the recording medium. Then, every time the recording medium is conveyed by a predetermined line feed width, the carriage reciprocates to record an image. When the recording head and an ink cartridge are disposed at separated positions, the recording head and the ink cartridge are connected by a flexible ink tube to allow the ink to flow therethrough. The ink tube has a sufficient length, thereby allowing the ink tube to follow the reciprocating motion of the carriage so as not to interrupt the reciprocating motion of the carriage, and is disposed between the recording head and the ink cartridge, in a state of being flexed in an approximately U-shape (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-35033).
When ink of plural colors such as cyan, magenta, yellow and black are supplied to the recording head so as to be adaptable to full-color printing, the ink tube is provided for each ink color. These plural ink tubes are fixed to the carriage, so as not to move randomly when they change a posture by following the movement of the carriage. For example, according to the aforementioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-35033, plural ink tubes are inserted into an annular holding portion provided on an upper surface of the carriage, fixed thereto, so as to integrally extend in a predetermined direction from the carriage.